Question 1

What does digital repository maintenance include?

Accepted Answer

Digital repository maintenance encompasses security patching, dependency updates, performance monitoring, database optimization, and backup verification. For Samvera-based repositories like Hyku and Hyrax, this includes Ruby gem updates, Solr index maintenance, and Fedora repository health checks. Regular maintenance prevents security vulnerabilities and ensures compliance with institutional IT security requirements.

Question 2

How often should academic repositories receive security updates?

Accepted Answer

Academic repositories should receive security updates within 30 days of critical vulnerability disclosures and within 90 days for moderate-severity issues. Ruby on Rails applications like Hyku and Hyrax require particular attention to CVEs affecting Rails, Devise, and other core dependencies. Delayed patching exposes institutional data and research collections to preventable security breaches.

Question 3

What is tiered repository support and which level do we need?

Accepted Answer

Tiered repository support ranges from basic security monitoring to comprehensive partnership services. Essential tiers cover critical security patches and uptime monitoring. Mid-level tiers add performance optimization and quarterly reviews. Comprehensive tiers include dedicated engineering hours, proactive upgrades, and strategic planning. Most academic libraries with 10,000+ items benefit from mid-level or comprehensive support.

Question 4

Can you maintain a repository customized by another vendor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Notch8 regularly assumes maintenance for Samvera repositories (https://www.notch8.com/samvera-repository)originally developed by other vendors or in-house teams.  We also regularly upgrade or maintain Custom Blacklight applications, Arclight catalogues, or Spotlight digital collections.(https://www.notch8.com/blacklight-spotlight-arclight-services) We conduct a codebase assessment to identify technical debt, security gaps, and upgrade blockers. Custom features built on Hyrax or Hyku can typically be maintained, though significant customizations may require refactoring for long-term supportability.

Question 5

What happens if our repository goes down outside business hours?

Accepted Answer

Support tiers determine after-hours response. Essential monitoring detects outages and queues response for next business day. Priority support includes 4-hour response windows during business hours. Comprehensive support includes emergency response protocols with defined escalation paths. Hosting clients receive infrastructure-level monitoring with automated recovery for common failure modes.

Question 6

How do you handle Ruby on Rails and Samvera version upgrades?

Accepted Answer

We assess your repository's customizations against the target version's breaking changes, create a detailed upgrade plan, and execute in a staging environment before production deployment. Hyku upgrades follow the Samvera community release schedule. Major version upgrades (Rails 6 to 7, Hyrax 3 to 4+) require dedicated project planning due to architectural changes affecting workflows, authentication, and data models.

Question 7

What monitoring do you provide for repository performance?

Accepted Answer

We monitor application response times, Solr query performance, Fedora storage health, background job queues, and infrastructure metrics. Alerts trigger when thresholds exceed acceptable ranges. Monthly reports identify trends requiring attention. Performance degradation from growing collections, inefficient queries, or resource constraints is identified before users experience slowdowns.

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Digital Repository Maintenance and Support